Arrest Warrants

Dominic Raab: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) people and (b) UK citizens were extradited from the UK to each EU member state under a European Arrest Warrant in 2010-11.

Damian Green: holding answer 7 November 2011
	The information is as follows:
	(a)In 2010-11 1,173 people were surrendered from the UK under an European Arrest Warrant (EAW). Of these, 48 were UK citizens. The following table breaks this down by member state.
	
		
			 Country Surrenders 
			 Austria 1 
			 Belgium 10 
			 Bulgaria 1 
			 Cyprus 1 
			 Czech Republic 51 
			 Estonia 3 
			 Finland 2 
			 France 10 
			 Germany 27 
			 Greece 9 
			 Hungary 32 
			 Ireland 21 
			 Italy 12 
			 Latvia 35 
			 Lithuania 100 
			 Malta 2 
			 Netherlands 17 
			 Poland 761 
			 Portugal 7 
			 Romania 35 
			 Slovakia 16 
			 Spain 17 
			 Sweden 3 
			 Total 1,173 
		
	
	(b) Out of the total 1,173 surrenders from the UK in 2010-11, 48 were UK citizens. They were surrendered to the following European Union member states:
	
		
			 Country Surrenders 
			 Belgium 3 
			 Czech Republic 1 
			 France 2 
			 Germany 7 
			 Greece 8 
			 Ireland 4 
			 Malta 1 
			 Netherlands 5 
			 Poland 1 
			 Spain 16 
			 Total 48

Civil Disorder

David Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether she has any plans to bring forward proposals for the repeal of section 2 (1) and (2) of the Riot (Damages) Act 1886.

Nick Herbert: The Riot Damages Act is currently under review.

Identity and Passport Service: Vacancies

Jessica Morden: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many vacancies there are in each office of the Immigration and Passport Service; and how many jobs in each office are being advertised.

Damian Green: As part of the civil service recruitment freeze, there is no external recruitment of staff. Only existing civil servants can be recruited. As at 21 November 2011 the Identity and Passport Service (IPS) was actively recruiting for 114 vacancies, broken down as follows:
	52 non-operational vacancies, largely based in London;
	62 operational vacancies, of which:
	five to be based at the new Newport Customer Service Centre,
	six to replace natural turnover largely at the Peterborough area processing centre and records office,
	51 to be based around the country at a number of different interview offices and flexible teams.
	Of these, we currently have 31 advertisements covering 64 of the vacancies on the civil service jobs website for existing civil servants only with the remainder having proceeded to the post application stages.

UK Border Agency: Resignations

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many staff with between 15 and 20 years' service have resigned from the UK Border Agency since May 2010.

Damian Green: The number of staff with between 15 and 20 years service who have resigned from the Border Agency since May 2010 up to 31 October 2011 is 12.

Air Travel Organisers’ Licence

Jim Fitzpatrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport with reference to her Department's planned reforms of the ATOL scheme, what the evidence basis is for her Department's conclusion that a two day Flight-plus buying window closely resembles a package in the eyes of consumers.

Theresa Villiers: The purpose of reform is to provide greater clarity to consumers about whether their flight inclusive holiday is ATOL protected or not. The aim of including Flight Plus in ATOL is to protect those holidays that are very similar in content and appearance to package holidays but are outside the legal definition of a package holiday. The Department proposed a short time period for customer requests for Flight Plus components as this would be most consistent with this aim.
	Views on the timing for consumer requests for holiday components were sought in the ATOL reform consultation (23 June to 15 September 2011). We are considering the responses and I plan to announce the final decisions for ATOL reform later this year or early next year.

Aviation

Brian H Donohoe: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if she will assess the findings of the report by the British Chambers of Commerce on aviation, entitled Flying in the Face of Jobs and Growth.

Theresa Villiers: The Government issued an aviation policy scoping document in March 2011, calling for evidence on a range of strategic issues. The British Chambers of Commerce produced the report ‘Flying in the Face of Jobs and Growth’ in response to the scoping document. We are reviewing the findings of this report alongside the many contributions to the debate about our future aviation policy. We will issue a Sustainable Framework for UK Aviation for public consultation in spring 2012.

Rescue Services: Manpower

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what changes in staffing levels have taken place at each coastguard station since May 2010.

Michael Penning: The following tables show the difference in full-time equivalent (FTE) employed at each Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) in May 2010 and October 2011.
	
		
			 FTE 
			 Organisation 1 May 2010 31 October 2011 Change 
			 Aberdeen MRCC 29.00 25.50 -3.50 
			 Belfast MRCC 21.14 21.14 0.00 
			 Brixham MRCC 23.00 20.50 -2.50 
			 Clyde MRCC 28.14 27.57 -0.57 
			 Dover MRCC 31.00 26.00 -5.00 
			 Falmouth MRCC 27.00 25.00 -2.00 
			 Forth MRCC 15.00 14.00 -1.00 
		
	
	
		
			 Holyhead MRCC 22.00 23.00 1.00 
			 Humber MRCC 27.00 25.00 -2.00 
			 Liverpool MRCC 21.50 20.50 -1.00 
			 London Coastguard 7.00 11.00 4.00 
			 Milford MRCC 24.00 23.00 -1.00 
			 Portland MRCC 25.14 22.14 -3.00 
			 Shetland MRCC 24.14 18.14 -6.00 
			 Solent MRCC 28.65 25.65 -3.00 
			 Stornoway MRCC 21.22 23.15 1.93 
			 Swansea MRCC 27.00 22.00 -5.00 
			 Thames MRCC 22.00 19.00 -3.00 
			 Yarmouth MRCC 23.02 19.78 -3.24 
			 Grand total 446.95 412.07 -34.88

Rescue Services: Manpower

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the average number of staff (a) on duty and (b) employed at each coastguard station was in each of the last five years.

Michael Penning: The information is as follows.
	(a) The Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) does not hold records of the average number of staff on duty over the last five years. Staffing levels for each watch are evaluated to meet the need that the operational activity demands by each Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC). An approximate figure for the whole of Her Majesty's Coastguard for all MRCCs is:
	
		
			  Summer Winter 
			 Day 75 60 
			 Night 60 60 
		
	
	(b) The MCA does not keep average numbers of staff employed at each MRCC, however the numbers of staff employed (full-time equivalent) at each MRCC over the last five years are:
	
		
			  As at 31 October each year 
			 Organisation 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 
			 Aberdeen MRCC 30.22 25.00 30.00 29.50 25.50 
			 Belfast MRCC 23.70 21.70 21.14 20.14 21.14 
			 Brixham MRCC 21.57 22.00 22.00 20.00 20.50 
			 Clyde MRCC 31.22 27.57 29.57 27.64 27.57 
			 Dover MRCC 29.14 25.14 31.07 32.50 26.00 
			 Falmouth MRCC 26.68 25.14 27.00 27.00 25.00 
			 Forth MRCC 20.00 20.00 19.00 14.00 14.00 
		
	
	
		
			 Holyhead MRCC 22.70 ¦22.14 22.00 20.00 23.00 
			 Humber MRCC 29.00 27.00 29.00 28.00 25.00 
			 Liverpool MRCC 21.57 22.57 23.07 21.50 20.50 
			 London Coastguard 5.00 8.00 6.00 6.00 11.00 
			 Milford MRCC 22.14 21.57 21.50 21.00 23.00 
			 Portland MRCC 24.14 23.57 24.14 25.14 22.14 
			 Shetland MRCC 20.70 19.70 19.14 20.14 18.14 
			 Solent MRCC 26.00 27.00 28.86 27.65 25.65 
			 StornowayMRCC 23.65 23.65 20.22 23.22 23.15 
			 Swansea MRCC 28.00 26.00 27.00 26.00 22.00 
			 Thames MRCC 25.07 21.50 23.00 21.00 19.00 
			 Yarmouth MRCC 24.22 21.22 24.22 20.00 19.78 
			 Total 454.69 430.45 447.93 430.43 412.07

Road Traffic

Dan Rogerson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport which Highways Agency controlled A-roads see the biggest increase in traffic during the summer.

Michael Penning: At a national level, traffic on the strategic road network, including both motorways and A-roads, tends to follow a consistent annual pattern. Starting from the lowest levels of traffic during December, levels then rise gradually, month on month, to a summer peak during July and August, before slowly declining again through to December.
	Traffic on individual routes, however, is subject to different levels of seasonal change. Comparing the combined traffic levels for the summer months of June, July and August, for 'Highways Agency controlled A-roads', with the preceding three months of March, April and May, the routes which experienced the greatest percentage increases in vehicle miles travelled (VMT) are shown in the following table:
	
		
			  VMT    
			 Road March to May June to August Increase Percentage increase Rank 
			 A30 296,319,601 359,728,530 63,408,929 21 1 
			 A303 220,000,697 251,898,755 31,898,058 14 2 
			 A120 83,734,035 93,645,820 9,911,784 12 3 
			 A494 10,490,386 11,614,209 1,123,823 11 4 
			 A696 6,389,445 7,057,473 668,028 10 (1)5 
			 A35 76,465,938 84,227,753 7,761,815 10 (1)— 
			 A31 113,486,280 124,709,656 11,223,376 10 (1)— 
			 A458 8,715,964 9,548,557 832,593 10 (1)— 
			 (1) Indicates a brace. 
		
	
	If, however, the ranking is based on actual vehicle miles travelled rather than percentage increases, the pattern is somewhat different:
	
		
			  VMT    
			 Road March to May June to August Increase Percentage increase Rank 
			 A30 296,319,601 359,728,530 63,408,929 21 1 
			 A1 714,657,865 766,531,909 51,874,044 7 2 
			 A303 220,000,697 251,898,755 31,898,058 14 3 
			 A34 301,295,002 328,674,164 27,379,163 9 4 
		
	
	
		
			 A14 540,486,628 565,139,730 24,653,102 5 5

Roads: Snow and Ice

Steve Rotheram: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps she is taking to assist motorists in preparation for winter weather.

Norman Baker: Local Highway authorities have a duty under section 41 of the Highways Act 1980 to maintain the local highways network in their area. In relation to snow, a local authority's section 41 duty includes the requirement
	“to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, that safe passage along a highway is not endangered by snow or ice”.
	Central Government have no powers to intervene in these matters in relation to local authority roads—winter service planning and salt stock supplies are the responsibility of the respective highway authorities. The Department is working closely with the local highways sector on ensuring that local highway authorities are prepared for any severe winter weather.
	In respect of the Highways Agency, as a result of lessons learned and continuous improvement over a number of seasons, the agency has developed a robust winter service to assist motorists in the event of severe winter weather.
	This includes: a fleet of 500 state of the art winter vehicles on stand-by, supported by tried and tested winter resilience plans; an adequate supply of operational and strategic salt stock in place at the start of the season; a Freight Snow Warning System in place to help the road haulage industry and drivers of goods and high-sided vehicles respond to warnings of severe weather or snow; an improved strategic incident management (Crisis Management Procedure) system that has been developed and implemented.
	The Highways Agency has also improved its winter communications to provide traffic advice to motorists, including: greater adoption and wider use of Variable Messaging Signs to help manage the strategic road network by providing advanced warning to drivers of emergencies and incidents; the use social media sites to advise motorists of any major traffic incidents; undertaking an extensive stakeholder engagement programme.
	The agency has also published advice to road users this winter, in a series of information notes under the theme, “Make time for winter”. These notes can be found online at:
	www.highways.gov.uk/winter

Public Finance

Vernon Coaker: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland 
	(1)  what recent discussions he has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer about measures in the 2011 Pre Budget Report to tackle (a) adult and (b)  youth unemployment in Northern Ireland;
	(2)  what discussions he has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on the 2011 Pre Budget Report with respect to Northern Ireland; and on what dates such discussions took place.

Owen Paterson: As part of the coalition Government's plan to rebalance the Northern Ireland economy I have regular discussions on a range of economic matters with the Chancellor of the Exchequer, my right hon. Friend the Member for Tatton (Mr Osborne), and other Treasury Ministers. However, specific measures to tackle both adult and youth unemployment are primarily devolved matters which are the responsibility of the relevant Northern Ireland Executive Ministers.

Terrorism

Vernon Coaker: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many offences categorised as terrorist related there have been in Northern Ireland (a) in the most recent period for which figures are available and (b) in each of the last 10 years.

Owen Paterson: The number of persons charged with offences under the Terrorism Act 2000 in the financial year 2010-11 was 19.
	The figures for each of the last nine calendar years is as follows:
	
		
			  Number 
			 2001 17 
			 2002 38 
			 2003 62 
			 2004 26 
			 2005 28 
			 2006 28 
			 2007 16 
			 2008 6 
			 2009(1) 15 
			 (1) In 2009 statistical reporting arrangements changed from calendar year to financial year, therefore the 2009 figure also includes the first three months of 2010. 
		
	
	These figures relate to the number of charges under the Terrorism Act, however, charges relating to terrorist activity may also be brought under other legislation. It is not possible to identify those charges which have been made under other legislation that relate to terrorist activity.

Income Tax: Tax Rates and Bands

Gloria De Piero: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many residents of Ashfield constituency paid 50 pence income tax rate in the latest period for which figures are available.

David Gauke: An estimated 308,000 taxpayers are liable to income tax at the 50% additional rate in the United Kingdom in 2011-12. In the east midlands, which contains the Ashfield constituency the estimate is 12,000. These and estimates for other UK Government office regions are published on the HMRC website in tables 2.1 and 2.2 which are available at the following addresses;
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/income_tax/table2-1.pdf
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/income_tax/table2-2.pdf
	Reliable estimates are not available at the parliamentary constituency level, due to greater uncertainties in projections for small geographical areas and small sample sizes.
	These estimates are based on the 2007-08 Survey of Personal Incomes, projected using economic assumptions consistent with the Office for Budget Responsibility's March 2011 economic and fiscal outlook.

Universal Credit: Disability

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he proposes that current levels of financial support to low income and out of work families with disabled children through the disability addition will be retained when universal credit is introduced.

Chris Grayling: I have been asked to reply.
	Under Universal Credit the cash additions for families with disabled children and the cash additions for adults will be aligned, with the lower rate at £26.75 and the upper rate at around £77 per week. The Government will also extend eligibility for the higher rate to children who are registered blind who currently only qualify for the disabled child element in Child Tax Credit (those registered or certified as blind).
	Increases in the higher addition will be phased in from 2013 as savings from simplification are realised. During this phasing-in period we will ensure that severely disabled children do not receive less than they would be under the Child Tax Credit equivalent amount. As this is more than the current equivalent higher addition for adults, the higher adult and child rates may not be in alignment until this phasing-in period is complete.

Community Organisers

Liam Byrne: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what funding he proposes to allocate for community organisers in (a) Birmingham, (b) Newcastle, (c) Wakefield, (d) Manchester, (e) Leeds, (f) Liverpool, (g) Coventry, (h) Bristol, (i) Sheffield, (j) Bradford, (k) Leicester and (l) Nottingham in each of the next three years.

Nick Hurd: The Government have appointed Locality to deliver the Community Organisers programme at arm’s length from Government. Locality believe that Community Organisers need to be hosted within a local organisation which can help the Community Organiser make the essential links with the local people, other voluntary organisations, businesses and the local authority. These organisations also provide mentoring, advice, peer support and desk space. Over the four year period, Locality expects to recruit between 100-200 local organisations across England to host Community Organisers. Recruitment of host organisations is based on a set of criteria, including a focus on areas of significant deprivation and the ability of the organisation to host and sustain between two and five Community Organisers each. Recruitment of Community Organisers is undertaken locally by host organisations.
	There are currently 22 local organisations taking part in the programme, with more being recruited regularly. The programme aims to reach a good geographical coverage by the end of the four years. As the process of recruiting locally rooted host organisations is an open application process, it is not possible to pre-determine which areas will benefit over the next three years. However, I can confirm that there are host organisations in the following areas: Birmingham, Manchester, Liverpool, Bristol, Sheffield, Bradford, and Leicester.
	Further details of the programme are available at:
	www.cocollaborative.org.uk

British Nationals Abroad: EU Countries

Martin Horwood: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many British nationals worked in each other EU member state in each of the last 10 years, for part or all of that year; and if he will make a statement.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated November 2011
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking how many British nationals have been employed in other EU member states over the last ten years. The requested information is available in the following table (82500).
	The data comes from the Labour Force Survey and is transmitted on a voluntary basis by the EU Member States to Eurostat (the European Union's statistical office). As with any sample survey, estimates from the Labour Force Survey are subject to a margin of uncertainty.
	
		
			 Employment by citizenship: UK citizens (aged 15 to 64) working in other EU27 member states 
			 Persons (thousand) 
			 Country 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 
			 Belgium 8.5 13.0 14.0 7.2 11.7 10.8 10.5 9.5 9.6 11.3 10.0 
			 Bulgaria — — — — — 0.1 0.3 — 0.1 — — 
			 Czech Republic — — 0.5 0.4 1.3 0.7 1.0 0.6 0.9 1.9 1.7 
			 Denmark 6.1 6.5 6.8 9.7 6.3 5.9 6.4 6.1 7.3 9.9 8.1 
			 Germany 72.4 68.7 58.2 74.2 68.8 55.4 64.6 62.1 62.1 56.7 58.4 
			 Estonia — — — — — 0.2 0.1 — 0.3 0.1 — 
			 Ireland 31.7 37.6 38.0 42.0 39.6 — 51.6 41.4 54.8 47.8 37.6 
			 Greece 1.6 2.3 1.4 3.4 2.7 3.1 2.9 2.5 2.8 2.0 2.4 
			 Spain 28.0 39.5 41.9 30.4 37.4 50.7 54.5 55.7 51.0 54.5 62.2 
			 France 29.0 28.2 34.4 18.1 24.3 28.2 27.7 25.9 33.7 37.4 47.5 
			 Italy — — — — — 10.8 10.9 6.6 9.3 11.4 n/a 
			 Cyprus 5.4 3.8 2.8 3.2 3.5 3.9 4.8 5.0 5.7 5.0 5.4 
			 Latvia — — — — — — 0.3 — — — — 
			 Lithuania — — — — 0.3 0.1 0.1 0.3 — — 0.1 
			 Luxembourg 2.0 1.5 1.9 1.9 2.1 2.5 2.7 2.6 2.7 3.2 4.5 
			 Hungary — 1.0 — 0.3 0.3 0.6 0.5 0.1 0.5 0.4 0.5 
			 Malta 1.1 1.3 1.2 1.1 0.9 0.9 1.2 1.1 1.3 1.3 1.4 
			 Netherlands 34.5 32.9 30.0 31.6 24.2 22.8 22.7 26.1 26.2 24.3 n/a 
			 Austria 1.8 3.1 1.8 5.0 3.8 4.2 3.6 3.9 3.6 3.9 4.9 
			 Poland — — — — — 0.3 0.5 1.9 1.2 0.6 0.2 
			 Portugal 0.6 1.7 3.0 2.4 2.3 2.3 2.5 1.5 3.3 4.1 1.6 
			 Rumania — — — — — — — — — 0.4 0.6 
			 Slovenia — — — — — — — — — 0.0 0.0 
			 Slovakia — — — — — — — — — 0.4 0.6 
			 Finland 0.7 1.4 1.3 0.4 1.1 0.6 1.3 1.8 1.5 0.9 1.4 
			 Sweden 8.8 9.3 7.3 8.2 9.0 9.3 9.5 8.3 8.3 10.0 10.6

Voluntary Work: Young People

Geraint Davies: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what assessment he has made of the effect of charging for National Citizen Service places on the take-up of places by children from low income backgrounds in 2011.

Nick Hurd: During the 2011 pilot of National Citizen Service, some pilot providers requested small contributions or deposits from participants. Many providers supported participants to fundraise this amount. All National Citizen Service pilots included bursaries or support schemes to ensure that young people/families without the means to contribute were able to participate.
	The independent evaluation of the first National Citizen Service pilot by NatCen is currently examining a range of factors impacting on recruitment, including the effects of charging for National Citizen Service places. Findings will be made available in due course.

Taxpayers' Alliance

Tom Blenkinsop: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many meetings (a) officials and (b) Ministers in his Department have had with the Taxpayers' Alliance in the last 12 months for which information is available.

Bob Neill: Details of ministerial and the permanent secretary's meetings with external organisations are published on a quarterly basis and are available at:
	www.communities.gov.uk/corporate/transparencyingovernment/ministerialdata/
	Details of other officials' meetings are not held centrally and it would entail disproportionate cost to assemble the information.

Office for Fair Access

Virendra Sharma: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills with reference to paragraph 17 in the Executive Summary of the Higher Education White Paper, Students at the heart of the system, what progress he has made in increasing the resources of the Office of Fair Access.

David Willetts: In the financial year 2010/11 the Office for Fair Access (OFFA) baseline budget was £484,000. We have agreed in the course of this year (2011/12) to increase this to £630,000 and are continuing to work with the director to keep this under review to ensure he has access to the resources he needs to fulfil his role in line with the Government's expectations set out in the letter to him on 10 February 2011.
	The Government have committed to strengthen OFFA, as outlined in the Higher Education White Paper “Students at the Heart of the System”, so it can provide a more active and energetic challenge and support to universities and colleges. We will work with the next Director on the size and structure of OFFA but will make significantly more resources available, increasing capacity up to around four times its original level.

Renewable Energy: Training

Ann McKechin: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills 
	(1)  how much of the budget allocated to the Renewables Training Network he estimates will be spent in Scotland;
	(2)  what discussions he has had with (a) the Scottish Executive, (b) Scottish universities, (c) Scottish colleges and (d) businesses in Scotland on the formation of the Renewables Training Network.

John Hayes: The Renewables Group Training Network receives public funding from the Growth and Innovation Fund, alongside matching employer investment. Department for Business, Innovation and Skills funding for skills covers England only and the scope of Growth and Innovation Fund projects reflects that.

Students: Loans

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what estimate he has made of the number of graduates who will not repay their student loans in full over a 30 year period.

David Willetts: We currently estimate that around 40% of borrowers will not fully repay their loan either because it will be written off due to death, not being able to work again due to permanent disability or after 30 years has expired.
	We currently estimate that the resource accounting and budgeting charge for student loans—representing the cost of both write-offs and interest subsidies—will be around 30% of the face value of loans issued.

Private Finance Initiative: Correspondence

Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will place in the Library a copy of each item of correspondence between his Department and local authorities relating to the private finance initiative since May 2010.

Nick Gibb: The correspondence between the Department and local authorities is vast and varies depending on an individual local authority. We intend to keep correspondence on the private finance initiative in the Libraries only if it relates to parliamentary question on a particular issue, parliamentary debates or a parliamentary commitment that has been made in the House.
	The Secretary of State for Education, my right hon. Friend the Member for Surrey Heath (Michael Gove), made an oral statement on 19 July 2011, Official Report, column 792, to announce the new private finance programme, the Priority School Building Programme.

Electricity Generation

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change 
	(1)  if he will re-open his Department's consultation on possible models for a capacity mechanism to seek views on the issue of phantom megawatts;
	(2)  what consideration his Department gave to phantom megawatts in its recent consultation on possible models for a capacity mechanism.

Gregory Barker: The recent consultation on possible models for a capacity mechanism considered high level options for a capacity mechanism.
	The chosen capacity mechanism design will be announced in a technical update to the White Paper, which will be published around the turn of the year. The detailed design of the mechanism will be developed in the next phase of the project.
	The Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, the right hon. Member for Eastleigh (Chris Huhne), will not reopen the Department's consultation on possible models for a capacity mechanism.

Electricity Generation

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change 
	(1)  if he will urge the National Grid to introduce a full metering system to measure accurately the capacity supplied by short term operating reserve aggregators;
	(2)  what his policy is on establishing an independent auditor of the performance of short term operating reserve aggregators.

Gregory Barker: National Grid has a metering system to accurately measure the capacity supplied by short term operating reserve aggregators in place.
	To monitor and despatch services from demand side response providers such as aggregators, National Grid installs a standing reserve despatch (SRD) system. This is connected to the reserve provider's metering equipment to allow the amount of reserve from each contracted provider to be read each minute and communicated back to National Grid. Following installation, National Grid then has the discretion to ascertain the accuracy and adequacy of the metering equipment providing the metering signals and of the resultant data sent to the SRD system.
	The Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, the right hon. Member for Eastleigh (Chris Huhne), does not plan to establish an independent auditor of the performance of short term operating reserve aggregators.

Environment Protection: Taxation

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change 
	(1)  what meetings (a) he, (b) Ministers in his Department and (c) officials in his Department have had with groups who support the introduction of measures to assist energy intensive businesses affected by the carbon price floor, but who are not included in the Economy Council sub-group for energy-intensive industries, to review plans for mitigation from the carbon price floor; and what the outcome was of such meetings;
	(2)  what meetings (a) he, (b) Ministers in his Department and (c) officials in his Department have had with groups opposed to the introduction of measures to assist energy intensive businesses affected by the carbon price floor; and what the outcome was of those meetings.

Gregory Barker: I am working closely with Government colleagues to deliver the commitment the Government gave earlier this year, 17 May 2011, Official Report, columns 176-177, to create a package of measures to support those energy intensive industries whose international competitiveness is most affected by our energy and climate change policies. We will announce details before the end of the year.
	DECC Ministers and officials have met, and receive representations from a range of stakeholders in the development of this package, including non-governmental organisations, trade associations, and individual companies. Neither DECC Ministers nor officials have received representations opposing the objective to provide support in a package of measures as set out by the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, the right hon. Member for Eastleigh (Chris Huhne).

Environment Protection: Taxation

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change 
	(1)  what assessment he has made of the effect of mitigating the effect of the carbon price floor on energy intensive industries on the policy's aim of providing certainty and support for low-carbon investment; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Wirral West of 14 November 2011, Official Report, column 643-4W, on taxation: environment protection, what assessment he has made of the effect of measures to mitigate the effect of the carbon price floor on energy intensive industries on emissions from electricity generation; and if he will make a statement.

Gregory Barker: I am working closely with Government colleagues to deliver the commitment the Government gave earlier this year to create a package of measures to support those energy intensive industries whose international competitiveness is most affected by our energy and climate change policies. We will announce details before the end of the year.

Nuclear Installations: Safety

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change whether he plans to respond to the recommendations for specific actions by his Department made by HM Chief Inspector of Nuclear Installations in his report on the implications of the Fukushima nuclear accident for the UK nuclear industry; and whether he has estimated the cost to his Department of implementation of all such recommendations.

Charles Hendry: As the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, my right hon. Friend the Member for Eastleigh (Chris Huhne) noted in his written ministerial statement of 11 October 2011, Official Report, column 20WS, the Government intend to respond to Dr Weightman's recommendations in more detail by the end of the year.
	As with the response to Dr Weightman's interim report, we will set out what we have done, and what we intend to do, to address the recommendations most pertinent to Government.
	Nuclear safety is a top priority and as such any associated costs to the Department will be borne out of the overall departmental budget.

Armed Forces Covenant

Gavin Shuker: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how his Department plans to (a) interpret and (b) apply the Military Covenant under the terms of the Armed Forces Act 2010.

Andrew Robathan: The previous Secretary of State for Defence, my right hon. Friend the Member for North Somerset (Dr Fox), announced the publication of the new tri-service armed forces covenant on 16 May 2011,
	Official Report
	, columns 25-27, setting out the key relationships between the armed forces, the Government and the nation. The covenant set out the principles of removing disadvantage in the access to public and commercial services and making special provision in some circumstances. It sets a framework for policy making and delivery across Government and will improve the support available for the armed forces community.
	The new Armed Forces Act 2011 creates the requirement for an annual armed forces covenant report to Parliament. It specifies that the armed forces covenant report must cover the areas of health care, education, housing and inquests, as well as any other topics which the Secretary of State for Defence thinks appropriate. When considering what will be covered, the Secretary of State for Defence will have regard to the full range of topics which were identified as within the scope of the armed forces covenant when it was published.
	The statutory requirement for an annual armed forces covenant report comes into effect from 2012. However we plan to publish an interim report this year, which will provide a useful baseline for the statutory reports that will follow.

Defence: Procurement

Craig Whittaker: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the (a) original budget, (b) projected final cost, (c) expected timescale for delivery, (d) primary contractor and identity of additional consortium members are in relation to the Type 45 Destroyer Project.

Peter Luff: holding answer 15 November 2011
	As recorded in the Major Project Report 2011 recently published by the National Audit Office, the original projected cost for six Type 45 destroyers, including the Principal Anti-Air Missile System (PAAMS) was approximately £4.75 billion. Currently, the forecasted final cost is approximately £5.66 billion. The in-service schedule for all six Type 45 destroyers is as follows:
	Daring: 2010
	Dauntless: 2010
	Diamond: 2011
	Dragon: 2012
	Defender: 2013
	Duncan: 2014.
	The Type 45 destroyers are not delivered by a consortium but by the prime contractor, BAE Systems Surface Ships. The PAAMS system is delivered and supported by MBDA.

Defence: Procurement

Craig Whittaker: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the (a) original budget, (b) projected final cost, (c) expected timescales for delivery, (d) primary contractor and (e) identity of additional consortium members are in relation to the Land Environment Picture Provision project.

Peter Luff: holding answer 15 November 2011
	The original cash approval for the Land Environment Air Picture Provision (LEAPP) Project was £138 million, final cash costs are projected to be £150 million. The cost growth is a result of a contractual claim settled and agreed between the prime contractor and the Ministry of Defence. For delivery, at the main gate decision point this was initially February 2012. At the most recent approval, delivery is now projected for September 2012. The primary contractor is Lockheed Martin UK, and there is no consortium.

Trident

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  if he will publish all the evidence submitted to the Trident Alternatives Review on its completion;
	(2)  how the Government intends to take account of the Trident Alternatives Review once it is published.

Peter Luff: The review will report jointly to the Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister.
	I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by the Secretary of State for Defence, my right hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond), on 21 November 2011, Official Report, column 34W.

Housebuilding

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government on the building of houses in areas prone to flooding.

Richard Benyon: The Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Meriden (Mrs Spelman), and I have regular discussions with the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, my right hon. Friend the Member for Brentwood and Ongar (Mr Pickles), and his ministerial team. Our officials also meet regularly to discuss a wide range of issues.

Agriculture: Industrial Health and Safety

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent discussions she has had with the Health and Safety Executive on the health and safety of agricultural workers.

James Paice: The Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Meriden (Mrs Spelman), has had no recent discussions with the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) on the health and safety of agricultural workers. Health and safety in the agriculture industry is a matter for HSE.
	The report of the Independent Farm Regulation Task Force published in May 2011 endorsed HSE's risk-based approach to inspection and its proactive approach to improving compliance. The steps HSE are taking to promote health and safety within the industry are detailed in the response from the Minister for Employment, Department for Work and Pensions, my right hon. Friend the Member for Epsom and Ewell (Chris Grayling), on 21 November 2011, Official Report, column 125W.

Food Supply

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent progress she has made on the implementation of the recommendations of Food 2030.

James Paice: “Food 2030”, published by the previous Government in January 2010, set out goals for food production and the supply chain, and the changes needed to achieve them. Many of the document's themes remain relevant and are still embedded into DEFRA's policy-making.
	Over the last year however DEFRA has been working with a new business plan that places a clear focus on the need to support a competitive, productive agriculture and food industry, alongside new commitments to environmental protection and enhancement of the environment. DEFRA has also welcomed the publication of the Foresight report on the Future of Food and Farming, which explores the pressures on the global food system between now and 2050. These pressures will undoubtedly influence our policy-making. To this aim, we are working with the food chain and other partners and across Government to ensure that we have a sustainable food system capable of dealing with a growing population and changing climate while protecting and enhancing the environment.
	One particular action we are taking forward in this area is the new “Green Food Project”. The project originated from a commitment we made in the Natural Environment White Paper in June 2011 to:
	“bring together government, industry and environmental partners to reconcile how we will achieve our goals of improving the environment and increasing food production” (NEWP page 24, paragraph 2.46).
	Our intention is that the project will generate conclusions in June 2012 which we can draw on to help us tackle the findings of the Foresight report, and create a more strategic framework for agri-food policy going forward.

Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Fiona O'Donnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when she will publish her Department's response to the consultation on greenhouse gas emissions.

James Paice: A public consultation looking at the options available for ensuring corporate reporting of greenhouse gas emissions are more widespread and consistent was held between 11 May and 5 July 2011.
	The Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Meriden (Mrs Spelman), is currently considering the Government's response to the consultation and will make an announcement in the coming months.

Kurds: Syria

Nadhim Zahawi: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment he has made of the position of the Kurds in Syria. [R]

Alistair Burt: Syrian Kurds continue to suffer discrimination by the Assad regime. Although the Syrian authorities recently announced a review of the 1962 census, which had revoked the nationality of thousands of Syrian Kurds, around 300,000 of the 1.7 million Kurds living in Syria are still without citizenship. We hear regular reports of arbitrary arrests, violations of Kurdish property rights, and deaths of Kurds in military service. The teaching of Kurdish is prohibited and Kurdish festivals are disrupted by the security services.
	During his meeting with members of Syria's opposition on 21 November, the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague), urged opposition representatives to unite around a common political platform that will enable the people of Syria to see a pathway to a clear alternative to dictatorship and repression. He particularly stressed the importance of respecting the rights of minorities, so that all Syria's citizens are protected and have a stake in the future of the country.

Welfare Reform Bill

Ann McKechin: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what discussions (a) he and (b) Ministers in his Department have had with the Secretary of State for Scotland on the Scottish Parliament's request for oral evidence on the Welfare Reform Bill.

Chris Grayling: Neither the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, my right hon. Friend the Member for Chingford and Woodford Green (Mr Duncan Smith), nor any Ministers in the Department, have had any direct discussions with the Secretary of State for Scotland, the right hon. Member for Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk (Michael Moore), about the Scottish Parliament's request for oral evidence on the Welfare Reform Bill.
	However, the Department keeps in regular contact with the Scottish Government on the subject of welfare reform at both ministerial and official levels.
	Officials in the Department contacted the Scotland Office to discuss the invitations received to appear before Scottish Committees.
	One of the Department's senior officials gave evidence on the Welfare Reform Bill to the Health and Sport Committee on 22 November 2011.

Work Capability Assessment

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Aberdeen South of 1 November 2011, Official Report, columns 523-4W, on work capability assessment, if he will publish the data on the number of work capability assessments for reassessed incapacity benefit claimants which were carried out in each week since February 2011.

Chris Grayling: Up to the week commencing 14 November 191,000 work capability assessments (WCA) resulting from reassessment had been completed. After the WCA, the decision on entitlement to benefit is taken by a DWP decision maker.
	No official statistics are available on WCA completed for IB reassessment claimants so the information on the number of WCA completed above is from the Department's Management Information System. It relates to those assessments where Atos have made a recommendation based on either a face to face assessment or cleared by scrutiny of the customer's medical questionnaire. It does not include those customers whose WCA recommendations were returned to Jobcentre Plus because they had not complied with the process.
	A weekly or monthly breakdown of the Management Information is not reliable because the data are captured cumulatively. Therefore assessments undertaken within one week might only be updated in the data as completed in subsequent weeks.
	Due to the overall length of the incapacity benefits reassessment process, information on the entire process including the final outcomes and subsequent destinations of claimants being reassessed is not yet available. The Department plans to publish data on the outcomes of the reassessment process, but only once it has been quality assured and is considered robust.

Departmental Public Expenditure

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what budget his Department allocated to the (a) Administrative Justice and Tribunals Council, (b) Assessor for Compensation for Miscarriages of Justice, (c) Civil Justice Council, (d) Civil Procedure Rule Committee, (e) Criminal Cases Review Commission, (f) Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority, (g) Criminal Procedure Rule Committee, (h) Crown Court Rule Committee, (i) Family Justice Council, (j) HM Inspectorate of Prisons, (k) HM Inspectorate of Probation, (l) Insolvency Rules Committee, (m) Judicial Appointments Commission, (n) Judicial Appointments and Conduct Ombudsman, (o) Judicial Office, (p) Law Commission, (q) Legal Services Board, (r) Legal Services Commission, (s) National Offender Management Service, (t) Probation Service, (u) Court Funds Office, (v) Office of the Information Commissioner, (w) Office for Judicial Complaints, (x) Legal Ombudsman, (y) Office of the Public Guardian, (z) Official Solicitor and Public Trustee, (aa) Parole Board, (ab) Prisons and Probation Ombudsman, (ac) Sentencing Council, (ad) Tribunal Procedure Committee, (ae) Commissioner for Victims and Witnesses and (af) Youth Justice Board in the financial year 2011-12.

Kenneth Clarke: The resource budget allocations for 2011-12, as at 31 October 2011, are as follows:
	
		
			 Organisation/body £000 
			 Administrate Justice and Tribunals Council 682 
			 Criminal Cases Review Committee 6,050 
			 Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority 200,200 
			 HM Inspectorate of Prisons 3,634 
			 HM Inspectorate of Probation 3,848 
			 Judicial Appointments Commission 5,520 
			 Judicial Appointments and Conduct Ombudsman 534 
			 Judicial Office 19,524 
			 Law Commission 3,165 
			 Legal Services Commission 2,251,400 
			 National Offender Management Service 2,801,647 
			 Probation Service 820,000 
			 Office of the Information Commissioner 4,586 
			 Office of the Public Guardian (457) 
			 Official Solicitor and Public Trustee 5,158 
			 Parole Board 10,014 
			 Prisons and Probation Ombudsman 5,546 
			 Sentencing Council 1,620 
			 Commissioner for Victims and Witnesses 1,100 
			 Youth Justice Board 393,939 
		
	
	The final budget may vary depending on actual expenditure and the Ministry's priorities.
	The Office of the Public Guardian is currently budgeting to receive more income than its expenditure. This is reflected in the organisation's budget.
	Budgets for the following bodies are part of larger budgets within the core Department for which no distinct budget allocation is made.
	Assessor for Compensation for Miscarriages of Justice
	Civil Procedure Rule Committee
	Criminal Procedure Rule Committee
	Insolvency Rules Committee
	Court Funds Office
	Tribunal Procedure Committee.
	Budgets for the following bodies are now part of the Judicial Office budget quoted above:
	Civil Justice Council
	Family Justice Council
	Office for Judicial Complaints.
	In respect of the following bodies the cost is neutral because these bodies are funded by levies upon the legal profession:
	Legal Services Board
	Legal Ombudsman.
	As at 31 October 2011, no resource budget allocation has been provided to the Crown Court Rule Committee.

European Court of Human Rights

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  what progress he has made in seeking reform of the European Court of Human Rights since the UK assumed the Chairmanship of the Council of Europe; and what meetings he (a) has held and (b) plans to hold with representatives from (i) the Council of Europe, (ii) the European Court of Human Rights, (iii) the Council of Europe's Committee of Ministers, (iv) the Council of Europe's Commissioner for Human Rights and (v) his counterparts from other countries to discuss the reform of the European Court of Human Rights;
	(2)  whether he plans to propose changes to the European Convention on Human Rights as part of the UK Chairmanship of the Council of Europe.

Kenneth Clarke: The UK assumed the Chairmanship of the Council of Europe on 7 November.
	As I stated in my answer of 11 October 2011, Official  Report, columns 23-24WS, the top priority for the UK Chairmanship is reform of the European Court of Human Rights. We aim to deliver a key stage of the reform process that has been ongoing for some years. The way the Court works is set out in the Convention, so reform could involve changes to the Convention if all 47 member states of the Council of Europe agree to it. We will be negotiating and agreeing a package of reforms with all member states during our Chairmanship.
	The Commission on a Bill of Rights has also provided interim advice on Court reform, which we will be taking into account during our negotiations.
	My ministerial colleagues and I have discussed the reform of the European Court of Human Rights with many key figures in the run up to our Chairmanship, many of which I met when I attended the Izmir Conference earlier this year during the Turkish Chairmanship. We will continue this approach in the coming months.
	For example, I met the Secretary General to the Council of Europe during his visit to the UK on 25 October, as did several other Government Ministers. The Attorney-General, my right hon. and learned Friend the Member for Beaconsfield (Mr Grieve), met with Court judges and officials during his visit to Strasbourg on 2 November and the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague), attended the handover ceremony in Strasbourg on 7 November. Last week, the Attorney-General and the Minister of State, Lord McNally, attended a conference on the long-term future of the Court at Wilton Park with representatives from across the Council of Europe and its member states. I am due to meet the Council of Europe's Commissioner for Human Rights when he visits the UK in December.
	My ministerial colleagues and I have also been raising the issue of reform of the Court with our ministerial counterparts in other member states where there has been opportunity for discussion.

Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Bill

Andy Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many people (a) pleaded guilty and (b) were found guilty for a second time of each offence listed in Schedule 16 of the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Bill in (i) 2008, (ii) 2009 and (iii) 2010.

Crispin Blunt: The following table shows the number of people who were convicted for a second time for each offence listed in schedule 16 of the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Bill, in the years 2008 to 2010. Attempted offences and offences involving aiding, abetting, conspiracy and incitement are classified with the main offence, and have not been separately identified.
	We do not hold reliable information on whether or not these offenders pleaded guilty. The figures relate to separate sentencing occasions; where an offender was sentenced on the same occasion for several offences it is the primary offence that has been counted. These figures have been drawn from the police's administrative IT system, the police national computer, which, as with any large scale recording system, is subject to possible errors with data entry and processing. The figures are provisional and subject to change as more information is recorded by the police.
	
		
			 Number of people who were convicted for a second time for each offence listed in schedule 16 of the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Bill, in the years 2008 to 2010 
			 Offence 2006 2009 2010 
			 Manslaughter 1 — — 
			 An offence under section 4 of the Offences against the Person Act 1861 (soliciting murder) — — — 
			 An offence under section 18 of that Act (wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm) 194 176 188 
		
	
	
		
			 An offence under section 16 of the Firearms Act 1968 (possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life) 1 1 — 
			 An offence under section 17(1) of that Act (use of a firearm to resist arrest) — — — 
			 An offence under section 18 of that Act (carrying a firearm with criminal intent) 1 2 — 
			 An offence of robbery under section 8 of the Theft Act 1968 where, at some time during the commission of the offence, the offender had in his possession a firearm or an imitation firearm within the meaning of the Firearms Act — — — 
			 An offence under section 1 of the Protection of Children Act 1978 (indecent images of children) 70 59 70 
			 An offence under section 56 of the Terrorism Act 2000 (directing terrorist organisation) — — — 
			 An offence under section 57 of that Act (possession of article for terrorist purposes) — — — 
			 An offence under section 59 of that Act (inciting terrorism overseas) if the offender is liable on conviction on indictment to imprisonment for life — — — 
			 An offence under section 47 of the Anti-terrorism, Crime and Security Act 2001 (use etc of nuclear weapons). — — — 
			 An offence under section 50 of that Act (assisting or inducing certain weapons-related acts overseas) — — — 
			 An offence under section 113 of that Act (use of noxious substance or thing to cause harm or intimidate) — — — 
			 An offence under section 1 of the Sexual Offences Act 1956 (rape)    
			 An offence under section 1 of the Sexual Offences Act 2003 (rape) 11 9 4 
			 An offence under section 2 of the Sexual Offences Act 2003 (assault by penetration) — — — 
			 An offence under section 4 of that Act (causing a person to engage in sexual activity without consent) if the offender is liable on conviction on indictment to imprisonment for life — — — 
			 An offence under section 5 of that Act (rape of a child under 13) — 1 2 
			 An offence under section 6 of that Act (assault of a child under 13 by penetration) — — — 
			 An offence under section 7 of that Act (sexual assault of a child under 13) 10 3 3 
			 An offence under section 8 of that Act (causing or inciting a child under 13 to engage In sexual activity) — — — 
			 An offence under section 9 of that Act (sexual activity with a child) 6 11 8 
			 An offence under section 10 of that Act (causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity) — 1 1 
			 An offence under section 11 of that Act (engaging in sexual activity in the presence of a child) 2 3 2 
			 An offence under section 12 of that Act (causing a child to watch a sexual act) — — — 
			 An offence under section 14 of that Act (arranging or facilitating commission of a child sex offence) — — — 
		
	
	
		
			 An offence under section 15 of that Act (meeting a child following sexual grooming etc) — — 1 
			 An offence under section 25 of that Act (sexual activity with a child family member) if the offender is aged 18 or over at the time of the offence — — — 
			 An offence under section 26 of that Act (inciting a child family member to engage in sexual activity) if the offender is aged 18 or over at the time of the offence — — — 
			 An offence under section 30 of that Act (sexual activity with a person with a mental disorder impeding choice) if the offender is liable on conviction on Indictment to imprisonment for life — — — 
			 An offence under section 31 of that Act (causing or inciting a person with a mental disorder to engage in sexual activity) if the offender is liable on conviction on indictment to imprisonment for life — — — 
			 An offence under section 34 of that Act (inducement, threat or deception to procure sexual activity with a person with a mental disorder) if the offender is liable on conviction on indictment to imprisonment for life — — — 
			 An offence under section 35 of that Act (causing a person with a mental disorder to engage In or agree to engage in sexual activity by inducement etc) if the offender is liable on conviction on indictment to imprisonment for life — — — 
			 An offence under section 47 of that Act (paying for sexual services of a child) against a person aged under 16 — — — 
			 An offence under section 48 of that Act (causing or inciting child prostitution or pornography) — — — 
			 An offence under section 49 of that Act (controlling a child prostitute or a child involved in pornography) — — — 
			 An offence under section 50 of that Act (arranging or facilitating child prostitution or pornography) — — — 
			 An offence under section 62 of that Act (committing an offence with intent to commit a sexual offence) if the offender is liable on conviction on indictment to imprisonment for life — — — 
			 An offence under section 5 of the Domestic Violence, Crime and Victims Act 2004 (causing or allowing the death of a child or vulnerable adult) — — — 
			 An offence under section 5 of the Terrorism Act 2006 (preparation of terrorist acts) — — — 
			 An offence under section 9 of that Act (making or possession of radioactive device or materials) — — — 
			 An offence under section 10 of that Act (misuse of radioactive devices or material and misuse and damage of facilities) — — — 
			 An offence under section 11 of that Act (terrorist threats relating to radioactive devices, materials or facilities) — — — 
			 Murder 2 — 2 
			 An offence under section 5 of the Sexual Offences Act 1956 (intercourse with a girl under 13) — — 1 
			 Total 298 266 282

Misconduct in Public Office: Prosecutions

Nick Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many prosecutions for the offence of misconduct in public office there were in each year since 2005; and what estimate he has made of the cost to (a) the Crown Prosecution Service budget and (b) the public purse of prosecuting this offence in each year.

Crispin Blunt: The number of defendants proceeded against at magistrates courts for misconduct in a Public Office under Common Law, in England and Wales, from 2005 to 2010 (latest available) can be viewed in the following table:
	
		
			 Number of defendants proceeded against at magistrates courts for ‘Misconduct in a public office’  (1,2)   England and Wales, 2005 to 2010  (3,4) 
			  Proceeded against 
			 2005 10 
			 2006(5) 8 
			 2007 21 
			 2008(6) 12 
			 2009 3 
			 2010 3 
			 (1) Is an offence under common law. (2) Defendants proceeded against for conspiring, aiding or abetting a public official to commit Misconduct in a Public Office are excluded from the data in the above table. (3) The figures given in the table on court proceedings relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences it is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe. (4) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used, (5) Figures provided for 2006 are the result of a validation process between MoJ and the courts. (6) Excludes data for Cardiff magistrates court for April, July, and August 2008. Source: Justice Statistics Analytical Services in the Ministry of Justice 
		
	
	Annual court proceedings data for 2011 are planned for publication in the spring of 2012.
	No general estimate has been made of costs of prosecuting this offence each year. No central record is maintained by the Crown Prosecution Service or for the public purse as a whole of the costs of prosecuting specific offences at this level of detail.
	An estimate is available for average Crown court costs of prosecutions related to misconduct in public office, for 2009-10 and 2010-11. These were £427,000 and £422,000 respectively, based on a five-hour sitting day.

Work Capability Assessment: Appeals

Yvonne Fovargue: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what proportion of work capability assessment decisions made by Atos were overturned on appeal in (a) England and (b) Makerfield constituency in the latest period for which figures are available.

Jonathan Djanogly: Her Majesty's Courts and Tribunals Service (HMCTS) hears appeals against Department for Work and Pensions decisions on entitlement to employment and support allowance (ESA) (decisions in which the work capability assessment is a key factor) rather than appeals against work capability assessment decisions themselves. The following tables show the proportion of employment and support allowance appeals cleared at hearing, which were found in favour of the appellant in (a) England and (b) the Wigan Tribunal venue in September 2011 (the latest date for which
	statistics have been published) and in the first two quarters of 2011-12. The Wigan Tribunal venue hears appeals from Makerfield constituency as well as other nearby locations.
	
		
			 Outcomes of ESA appeals 1 September 2011 to 30 September 2011 
			  No. cases cleared at hearing No. of DWP Decisions Upheld % Upheld No. Decided in Favour of Appellant % in Favour Other % other 
			 England(1) 10,898 6,895 63 3949 36 48 0 
			 Wigan 119 80 67 38 32 0 0 
		
	
	
		
			 Outcomes of ESA appeals 1 April 2011 to 30 September 2011 
			  No. cases cleared at hearing No. of DWP Decisions Upheld % Upheld No. Decided in Favour of Appellant % in Favour Other % other 
			 England(1) 66,158 41,405 63 24,388 37 365 1 
			 Wigan 667 447 67 218 33 2 0 
			 (1) This includes data for all venues based in England. Cases may occasionally be dealt with outside England, in Wales and Scotland. Note: This data is taken from management information.